Plan to reimburse Russell Pearce campaign costs dies

The bill was pulled from consideration in the Senate

An effort to allow recalled Sen. Russell Pearce to seek $260,000 in taxpayer reimbursement for recall expenses died on the last day of the legislative session Thursday because of lack of support.

"It's just unfortunate," said Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, who was among a handful of Republican lawmakers behind the effort. "This wasn't about Russell Pearce. It didn't give him any money. It did absolutely nothing other than set a framework."

The Arizona Constitution requires the Legislature to enact a "provision for payment by the public treasury of the reasonable special election campaign expenses of such officer."

Pearce supporters at the Legislature argued that the constitutional provision required lawmakers to set up a process to allow Pearce -- and any other elected official that faces recall -- to seek reimbursement for recall-campaign costs. An amended version of Senate Bill 1449 proposed to do that. It was retroactive in a way that would have allowed Pearce to apply for reimbursement from his November recall election.

Pearce did not spend any of his own money in the campaign, but raised and spent about $261,000 in donations from individuals and political committees.

The bill needed a final vote in both the House and Senate on Thursday and didn't have the support, even among some conservative Republicans who said they would not support spending taxpayer money in that way.